Steve Ramsey of the “Woodworking for Mere Mortals” web site asked me to contribute an entry to his “inspiration project,” where woodworkers try to describe things that inspire.
I am no good at these things. When people ask me what inspires me, I stutter, spit and make no sense whatsoever.
Thanks to Jeff Burks and Peter Follansbee, I came up with a better answer to the question.
Jeff Burks pointed out the incredible “Art of Asking Questions” essays from the late 19th century. I have read them about 10 times now.
Peter Follansbee took me to the newly discovered joiner’s shop in Duxbury, Mass., which left me speechless, asking questions.
Together they are a document of what keeps me in the shop, in the library, at my keyboard.
Thanks to Steve Ramsey for asking me to participate.
— Christopher Schwarz
Mr. Schwarz,
in quoting this old text, you caused me to seek out its source and have, thus, exposed a rabbit hole that I will joyfully descend for quite some tim e to come. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Sincerely and respectfully,
Brian J. Stafford
Chris,
Thank you for sharing that with us.Like Brian, my fingers are busily typing away in search of yet another undiscovered treasure trove.
Best regards,
Albert
For those of you interested in following up on The Art of Asking Questions, here are all 26 Volumes of The Manufacturer and Builder!
http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/m/manu/
Albert
Inspirational indeed. And thanks for showing Jeff some well-deserved love. I sometimes skim through his entries but I don’t ignore them completely. Otherwise, how am I to know if it’s a stone or a diamond or something more useful?
I’ve searched the web and come up empty; Where might one find a copy of this essay?
To make this even easier (at least for me):
Title: Asking Questions I http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_I
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0002 Issue 6 (June 1870) / Volume 2, Issue: 6, June 1870, pp. 183
Title: Asking Questions II http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_II
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0002 Issue 7 (July 1870) / Volume 2, Issue: 7, July 1870, pp. 215
Title: Asking Questions III http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_III
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0002 Issue 8 (August 1870) / Volume 2, Issue: 8, August 1870, pp. 247
Title: Asking Questions IV http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_IV
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0002 Issue 9 (September 1870) / Volume 2, Issue: 9, September 1870, pp. 279
Title: Asking Questions V http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_V
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0002 Issue 10 (October 1870) / Volume 2, Issue: 10, October 1870, pp. 311
Title: Asking Questions VI http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_VI
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0002 Issue 11 (November 1870) / Volume 2, Issue: 11, November 1870, pp. 342-343
Title: Asking Questions VII http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_VII
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0002 Issue 12 (December 1870) / Volume 2, Issue: 12, December 1870, pp. 372-373
Title: Asking Questions VIII http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_VIII
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0003 Issue 1 (January 1871) / Volume 3, Issue: 1, January 1871, pp. 18-19
Title: Asking Questions IX http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_IX
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0003 Issue 2 (February 1871) / Volume 3, Issue: 2, February 1871, pp. 43
Title: Asking Questions X http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_X
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0003 Issue 3 (March 1871) / Volume 3, Issue: 3, March 1871, pp. 67-68
Title: Asking Questions XI http://tiny.cc/Asking_Questions_XI
Publication Info: The Manufacturer and Builder Volume 0003 Issue 4 (April 1871) / Volume 3, Issue: 4, April 1871, pp. 91
Thanks Jim! (For doing my job for me.)